Business Desk 
Nov 24, 2025
Accelerating breakthroughs in quantum computing are reworking long-term expectations for Bitcoin's security, as experts now warn that the network's core cryptographic protections could become vulnerable sooner than had previously been assumed.
Once expected to be decades out, advances in quantum hardware, error-correction techniques, and hybrid GPU-quantum systems have significantly shortened the projected timeline.
The main worry is an attack using the elliptic-curve digital-signature algorithm (ECDSA), which protects transactions and shields private keys. Whereas it would take billions of years to break this encryption with a classical computer, an adequately powerful quantum machine could perform the same in days or hours.
Théau Peronnin, a quantum-computing executive on next-generation architectures, said the field is approaching an inflection point. While today's quantum devices pose no imminent threat, he thinks the industry is on a realistic trajectory toward machines that can break ECDSA sometime in the early-to-mid 2030s.
"The whole point of the approach is to embed the first layer of error corrections directly within the design of the quantum bit itself," Peronnin said. "It dramatically simplifies the system by up to 200-fold."
Researchers warn that the most vulnerable point of the Bitcoin network is its signature layer, not the mining mechanism. If quantum capabilities reach projected milestones, publicly exposed keys, above all from dormant or high-value addresses, could turn into targets.
Transitioning Bitcoin to post-quantum cryptography is feasible but complex, requiring broad community consensus and careful migration of billions of dollars in assets.
Potential steps include adopting quantum-resistant signature schemes, adding crypto-agile frameworks, and encouraging users to rotate keys into quantum-safe wallets.
For institutional investors, the threat introduces new systemic considerations. Hedge funds, custodians and regulators are increasingly assessing quantum risk as part of broader cybersecurity planning.
